Our Bureau
Dubai
A 21-year-old Indian student was killed after being hit by a speeding car while waiting for roadside assistance following a tyre puncture in Dubai. Naifa Balkies Hameed, a final-year architecture student at Canadian University Dubai, was standing behind her vehicle when the speeding car struck her on Al Khawaneej Street in the Al Rashidiya area. She reportedly died on the spot.
According to media reports, the incident took place on Thursday when Naifa was driving to university and noticed that one of her car tyres had gone flat. She called her father, Binu Hameed, who was in Kerala at the time, to inform him about the situation. He advised her to contact roadside assistance, have the vehicle towed to a workshop and take a taxi to college.
However, around five minutes later, when her father tried calling her again, she did not answer. The family subsequently received a call from Dubai Police informing them about the fatal accident. Her relatives were told that the driver of the speeding vehicle had been arrested and an investigation was underway. Dubai Police had not issued an official statement on the incident at the time of reporting.
Naifa, a native of Thodupuzha in Kerala, had recently travelled to India with her family to attend a wedding. She returned to Dubai with her mother to resume her university classes, while her father and other family members stayed back in Kerala.
Her uncle described her as a warm and caring person who was extremely close to her family. He said she had been driving since the age of 18 and was comfortable handling different vehicles.
Following the completion of legal and repatriation formalities, her mortal remains were brought to Kerala, where she was laid to rest in her hometown. The family hopes the incident will raise awareness about roadside safety and the risks motorists face during vehicle breakdowns.